Blogs take on the mainstream

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4086337.stm

December 31, 2004

Blogs take on the mainstream
By Roberto Belo
BBC News website technology reporter

Web logs or blogs are everywhere, with at least an estimated five
million on the web and that number is set to grow.
These online diaries come in many shapes and styles, ranging from
people willing to sharing their views, pictures and links, to
companies interested in another way of reaching their customers.

But this year the focus has been on blogs which cast a critical eye
over news events, often writing about issues ignored by the big media
or offering an eye-witness account of events.

Most blogs may have only a small readership, but communication
experts say they have provided an avenue for people to have a say in
the world of politics.

The most well-known examples include Iraqi Salam Pax's accounts of
the US-led war, former Iranian vice-president Mohammad Ali Abtahi
exclusive insight into the Islamic Republic's government, and the
highs and lows of the recent US election campaign.

There are already websites pulling together these first-hand
reporting accounts heralded by blogs, like wikinews.com, launched
last November.

Growing up

The blogging movement has been building up for many years.

Andrew Nachison, Director of the Media Center, a US-based think-tank
that studies media, technology and society, highlights the US
presidential race as a possible turning point for blogs.
"You could look at that as a moment when audiences exercised a new
form of power, to choose among many more sources of information than
they have never had before," he says.

"And blogs were a key part of that transformation."

Among them were blogs carrying picture messages, saying "we are
sorry" for George W Bush's victory and the responses from his
supporters.

Mr Nachison argues blogs have become independent sources for images
and ideas that circumvent traditional sources of news and information
such as newspapers, TV and radio.

"We have to acknowledge that in all of these cases, mainstream media
actually plays a role in the discussion and the distribution of these
ideas," he told the BBC News website.

"But they followed the story, they didn't lead it."

Love and hate

Some parts of the so-called traditional media have expressed concerns
about this emerging competitor, raising questions about the
journalistic value of blogs.

BLOG
A website that contains an online personal journal with reflections,
comments and often hyperlinked
Merriam-Webster dictionary

Others, like the French newspaper Le Monde, have applied a different
strategy, offering blogs as part of its content.
"I don't think the mission and role of journalism is threatened. It
is in transition, as society itself is in transition," says Mr
Nachison.

However, he agrees with other experts like the linguist and political
analyst Noam Chomsky, that mainstream media has lost the traditional
role of news gatekeeper.

"The one-to-many road of traditional journalism, yes, it is
threatened. And professional journalists need to acclimate themselves
to an environment in which there are many more contributors to the
discourse," says Mr Nachison.

"The notion of a gatekeeper who filters and decides what's acceptable
for public consumption and what isn't, that's gone forever."

"With people now walking around with information devices in their
pockets, like camera or video phones, we are going to see more
instances of ordinary citizens breaking stories."

Blog overload

It seems unlikely that we will end up living in a planet where every
human is a blogger.

We are entering one era in which the technological infrastructure is
creating a different context for how we tell our stories and how we
communicate with each other
Andrew Nachison, Director, Media Center

But the current number of blogs is likely to keep on growing, in a
web already overloaded with information.
Blog analysis firm Technorati estimates the number of blogs in
existence, the so-called blogosphere, has already exceeded five
million, and is growing at exponential levels.

Tools such as Google's Blogger, MovableType and the recently launched
beta version of MSN Spaces are making it easier to run a blog.

US research think-tank Pew Internet & American Life says a blog is
created every 5.8 seconds, although less than 40% of the total are
updated at least once every two months.

But experts agree that the phenomenon, allowing individuals to
publish, share ideas, exchange information, comment on current
issues, post images or video on the web easily, is here to stay.

"We are entering one era in which the technological infrastructure is
creating a different context for how we tell our stories and how we
communicate with each other," said Mr Nachison.

"And there's going to be bad that comes with the good."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/4086337.stm

Published: 2004/12/31 09:03:18 GMT

© BBC MMIV
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